The righteous man suffers, the wicked man thrives

Synopsis

Rav Hamnuna tells Elijah that a righteous man whose sins are few is punished in this world, but a man with many sins and a few good deeds is rewarded in this world. He goes on to say that people must confess their own sins to God and then He will hear, judge, and forgive him.

Relevance

When we confess our own sins, absolutely, to the Creator, as opposed to having our Accuser (Satan) present them as an indictment against us, the Zohar states: "...The heavenly court leaves alone the person who expounds his own sins AND DOES NOT FIND HIM GUILTY."

This passage is our opportunity to confess and procure a favorable verdict concerning that sins we have committed. Acknowledging our misdeeds is the key to activating the power of this passage.

Atonement Blood Deeds Elijah Job Judgment Pillar Righteous Sin Wicked Wickedness

354. Here the ancient pillars of the world were divided. One said: Job was one of the pious of the nations of the world, and another said: Job was one of the pious of Yisrael, but was smitten in order to atone for the world. One day Rav Hamnuna found Elijah and said to him: We have definitely learned that there is a righteous man who suffers and a wicked man who prospers. RAV HAMNUNA EXPLAINED AND said: A righteous man is one whose sins are few and who pays the price for them in this world, and thus the righteous man suffers. But if his sins are many and his good deeds few, then he receives his reward in this world, AND THUS is a wicked man who prospers. He said to him: The judgments of the Master of the World are profound, but when the Holy One, blessed be He, wants to make atonement for the sins of the generation, He smites their arm and through this action the generation is healed. It can be likened to a doctor who smites, NAMELY LETS BLOOD IN the arm in order to save all the parts, as it is written: "But he was wounded because of our transgressions" (Yeshayah 53:5).

354. הָכָא אַפְלִיגוּ עַמּוּדִין קַדְמָאִין דְּעָלְמָא. חַד אָמַר, אִיּוֹב מֵחֲסִידֵי אוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם הֲוָה. וְחַד אָמַר, מֵחֲסִידֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֲוָה. וְאַלְקֵי, לְכַפְּרָא עַל עָלְמָא. דְּהָא יוֹמָא חַד אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ רַב הַמְנוּנָא לְאֵלִיָּהוּ. א"ל, וַדַּאי תָּנֵינָן דְּאִית צַדִּיק וְרַע לוֹ, רָשָׁע וְטוֹב לוֹ. אָמַר, צַדִּיק, כָּל שֶׁמְּמוּעֲטִין לוֹ חוֹבוֹתָיו נוֹתְנִין לוֹ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה חוֹבוֹ, וְעַל כֵּן צַדִּיק וְרַע לוֹ. וְכָל שֶׁמְרוּבִּין עֲווֹנוֹתָיו, וּמְמוּעֲטִין זָכִיוֹתָיו, נוֹתְנִין לוֹ שְׂכָרוֹ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, רָשָׁע וְטוֹב לוֹ. א"ל, דִּינוֹי דְּמָארֵי עָלְמָא, עֲמִיקִין אֲבָל בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּבָעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְכַפְּרָא חוֹבִין דְּעָלְמָא, אַלְקֵי בִּדְרוֹעָא דִּלְהוֹן, וְאָסֵי לְכוּלְהוּ מְתַל לְאַסְיָיא, דְּאַלְקֵי לִדְרוֹעָא, לְשֵׁיזָבָא לְכָל שַׁיְיפִין. כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב, וְהוּא מְחוֹלָל מִפְּשָׁעֵינוּ וְגוֹ.'

Court David Guilt Judgment Prosecution Rosh Hashanah Seventy Sin Solomon

355. As we have learned, on that day of Rosh Hashanah, seventy seats of justice arise to judge the world, many for the defense and many for the prosecution standing on high, those on the right for innocence and those on the left for guilt, to recall the sins of the world and the sins of each individual. A man has therefore to CONFESS AND specify his sins, each one just as it is, for whoever expounds his sins BEFORE THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, judgment is passed on him by the Holy One, blessed be He, and by no other. And whoever is judged by the Holy One, blessed be He, it is for his good. This is why King David requested: "Judge me, Elohim" (Tehilim 43:1), You and none other. Similarly, Solomon said, "that He maintain the cause of His servant" (I Melachim 8:59). He and no other. And the HEAVENLY court leaves him.

355. כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר, בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא שֶׁל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, דְּקַיְימִין שַׁבְעִין קַתֶּדְרָאִין לְמֵידָן דִּינָא לְעָלְמָא, כַּמָּה אִינּוּן מָארֵי תְּרִיסִין, קַטֵיגוֹרִין, דְּקַיְימֵי לְעֵילָּא. אִלֵּין מַיְימִינִין לִזְכוּ וְאִלֵּין מַשְׂמְאִלִין לְחוֹבָא, לְאַדְכְּרָא חוֹבִין דְּעָלְמָא, חוֹבִין דְּכָל חַד וְחַד. וְעַל דָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ לב"נ, לְפָרְשָׁא חוֹבוֹי, כָּל חַד וְחַד כְּמָה דְּאִיהוּ בְּגִין דְּמַאן דִּמְפָרֵשׁ חֶטְאוֹי, לָא אִתְמְסַר דִּינֵיהּ, אֶלָּא בִּידָא דְּמַלְכָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי. וּמַאן דְּדָאִין לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אִיהוּ לְטָב. וע"ד בָּעָא דָּוִד מַלְכָּא, שָׁפְטֵנִי אֱלֹקִים, אַנְתְּ, וְלָא אַחֲרָא. וְכֵן שְׁלֹמֹה אָמַר, לַעֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפַּט עַבְדּוֹ, הוּא, וְלָא אַחֲרָא, וְכָל ב"ד בְּדֵילִין מִמֶּנּוּ.

Court Gold Moses Samuel Sin Testimony

356. This is why the sins of every limb have to be expounded, and everything that he did in detail, as it is written: "I acknowledge my sin to You" (Tehilim 32:5). And this same verse concludes: "and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Se'la." How do we know this? We know it from Moses, for it is written: "This people has sinned a great sin" (Ibid. 31). And about Yisrael is written: "We have sinned because we have forsaken Hashem" (I Shmuel 12:10). Should you suggest THAT THE VERSE ABOUT MOSES refers to an individual alone, while in public one does not HAVE TO SPECIFY ONE'S SINS, then the other verse "WE HAVE SINNED BECAUSE WE HAVE FORSAKEN HASHEM" comes to teach the opposite, FOR IT IS SAID IN PUBLIC. And should you agree that it is to be in public, but that it is not the cantor WHO HAS TO DETAIL THE SINS, the opposite is suggested, as it is written: "And Moses returned to Hashem and said: This people has sinned a great sin...and have made them an Elohim of gold." What is the reason? It is because the heavenly court leaves alone the person who expounds his own sins AND DOES NOT FIND HIM GUILTY. Because a man may be considered as one of his own close relatives, AND A RELATIVE IS UNACCEPTABLE AS A WITNESS. He is, THEREFORE, not judged according to his OWN testimony.

356. וע"ד אִצְטְרִיךְ לוֹן לְפָרְשָׁא חוֹבִין דְּכָל שַׁיְיפָא וְשַׁיְיפָא, וְכָל מַה דְּעָבֵיד בִּפְרָט. הה"ד, חַטָּאתִי אוֹדִיעֲךָ וְגוֹ.' לְבָתַר וְאַתָּה נָשָׂאתָ עֲוֹן חָטָּאתִי סֶלָה. מְנָלָן. מִמֹּשֶׁה, דִּכְתִיב אָנָּא חָטָא הָעָם הַזֶּה וְגוֹ.' בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּתִיב, חָטָאנוּ כִּי עָזַבְנוּ אֶת יְיָ,' דְּאִי תֵּימָא הַאי בְּיָחִיד, אֲבָל בְּצִבּוּר לָא. הָא כְּתִיב קְרָא דָּא. וְאִי תֵּימָא הָא בְּצִבּוּר, אֲבָל שְׁלִיחָא דִּלְהוֹן לָא, הָא כְּתִיב וַיָּשָׁב מֹשֶׁה אֶל יְיָ' וְגוֹ.' וּכְתִיב וַיַּעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם וְגוֹ.' מ"ט. מַאן דִּמְפָרֵשׁ חוֹבֵיהּ, בֵּי דִּינָא בְּדֵילִין מִינֵּיהּ, בְּגִין דב"נ קָרִיב לְגַרְמֵיהּ, וְלָא אִתְדָּן עַל פּוּמֵיהּ.

Guilt Mercy Prosecution